I felt compelled to write

During the summer we had the pleasure of staying with Nomad Tanzania and I felt compelled to write and thank you for the amazing experience that your company and staff provided for us.

We were travelling with our three daughters, aged 11, 14 and 18 years, and another family with two boys aged 14 and 17 years. It is always a challenge to find a holiday that will suit all the children/ young adults with such a wide range of ages and expectations but the safari to Tanzania was fantastic for everyone.

Our first camp was Kigelia in Ruaha from 26th to 29th of July and then Kiba Point in Selous until 2nd August and finally onto Zanzibar.

I cannot praise the staff in both of the camps highly enough, from the camp managers, the guides and the chefs to the general workers who were all so helpful, friendly, courteous and professional. The standard of accommodation far surpassed our expectations and the quality of the food in both camps was truly outstanding. We were in awe at the delicious meals that were produced from such small kitchens and the variety of the menus.

The experience of sleeping in a tent in the middle of the bush with wild animals roaming around the camp and the roaring of lions nearby was something we will never forget. Or the fact that a family of elephants strolled around the dining tent whilst we were enjoying an afternoon cup of tea. My husband is South African but I had never been to Africa before and I was initially apprehensive about the potential dangers inherent in being on safari but the staff were so knowledgeable and attentive that we felt completely safe and protected at all times despite being so close to nature.

We enjoyed the rustic charms of Kigelia with the open air shower and large comfortable tents but we also appreciated the attention to detail such as the coffee and biscuits provided with the wake up call at 6am, hot water bottles in the beds at night and the fact that dinner was served in a different location each evening. The candle-lit dinner in the sand river was really magical. The staff were fabulous with the children, taking them all off together in the jeep and creating competitions on fact-finding missions.

Arriving at Kiba Point was amazing. The luxury and opulence of the central area and the individual rooms was totally unexpected – as was the complete openness of the rooms!

I would like to pay particular thanks to Hamza, manager and guide, who worked tirelessly to give us the most amazing and memorable time both on boat safaris and in the bush. One of the boys turned 18 during our stay and it was a truly spectacular day ending with a surprise cake celebration with all of the staff joining in with singing and dancing. A special thanks also goes to Hamisi (dubious spelling!) who went to enormous trouble to fashion a fancy dress outfit out of everyday items especially for the occasion. Thanks also to Milton who was always around to serve drinks and food and tend to our every need. It was fascinating to chat to him and learn details of his family life; a family that was 2 days travel away. The fact that the camps were so small and personal added greatly to our experience of African life. The chef, whose name unfortunately I do not know, was kind enough to allow our youngest daughter to help him in the kitchen to prepare the dinner one evening, as baking is her passion at the moment.

I certainly didn’t intend to wax lyrical when I started this letter but it was impossible not to become caught up in such wonderful memories so thank you again and please pass on our thanks and gratitude to all the staff in both camps.